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We are a mere two days away from Iowa State Football and tailgating. This is the bus that we tailgate at in Ames before, during and after Cyclone football games. Look for us in Lot D4 and say hello!
Tags: IowaState Cyclones, Football, Tailgating, "Kappa Sigma
Last night I was watching our local news station profile a growing trend in suburbia. Something called the "Village" concept. It's a planned community where homes are build in a neighborhood that features stores, services and housing all intermingled with each other.
It's very popular these days because people are beginning to conserve on their driving times to high gas prices, and choosing to walk. People are also embracing the concept of community and going to I call the micro-local level. Patronizing businesses in immediate proximity of where they live by walking or taking a bike, and bringing business and neighbors in to the fabric of their living experience.
I applaud this. These are all things that I believe in, except I have a big problem with people who are "building" this to make it happen. There are several new developments being planned and built in West Des Moines, something called the Ponderosa Place and one in Ankeny called the Prairie Trails development. People are building new homes in new developments to reclaim the charm of small town living. Let me get this straight. People moving to a metropolitan area, in a suburb to experience what small-town live has had for years. This is about the dumbest idea since Whole Wheat White bread. It's got all of the blandness of beige new construction with the wholesomeness of a corner grocery!
I know that this kind of development are going to appeal to the small-framed-eyeglasses liberals who espouse how they are saving the environment by ambulating to their local cafe and how the "small-town" feel of having neighbors and retail just around the corner somehow makes their lives more complete.
My question is why does this have to be new? Why does it need to occupy more space? Why does this need to benefit large wealthy cities?
I grew up outside of Iowa outside of Denver, Colorado. I attended high school in Iowa City, and went to college in Ames. I've lived in West Des Moines. I have run the gauntlet of living options. Bigger, Big, Medium Small. When it came time to buy a home I took all of the qualities that these planned communities are working towards to heart.
Here were my criteria:
I wanted a home where I could walk or bike to places that served most of my needs (grocery, small retail, entertainment). A thriving business and retail district and had low traffic.
I wanted a place that was culturally active. I was ok with the concept that places that I was looking for may not "be there yet" but were at least open to incoming ideas.
I wanted a place with recreational options.
Well I found it in Story City, Iowa. This small town just off of I-35 in central Iowa has proven to be the best place I have ever lived. It is sleepy. You're not going to find fusion cuisine here; now. But there's a very good possibility that this place is going to become big fast. My home price was very reasonable (approx ~$150K). From my home, I have a 100 foot walk to the grocery store. The wonderful library is around the block. The police station is just across the street. The movie theater in town shows movies that are two-weeks removed from their release dates for $3. We have great restaurants, we have music festivals. There is a great well kept golf course in the middle of town. This little Iowa town is the "Village" concept 10 minutes away from Ames, and 30 minutes away from Des Moines. Why reinvent the wheel when you can have it the way it was meant to be? Without taking up more space than is needed.
